John* never saw it coming. After what he initially assumed was yet another routine visit to the office of the human resources manager, he was in for a rude shock. "Due to the ongoing restructuring, we regret to tell you that you are among...." His mind went blank at some point.
He had served as head of the Audit Department in a beverages company based in Nairobi for seven years. His service was being obliterated by the terse message, the kind of news any breadwinner dreads.